kala chana

Black Chickpeas aka Kala Chana Curry made in the Instant Pot. This one pot meal is made with basic Indian spices and is comfort food the soul. Skip paneer to make it vegan!

Instant Pot Kala Chana

kala chana (also known

cumin seeds

asafetida (also known as hing)

red onion (150 grams, finely chopped)

green chili (chopped, adjust to taste)

ginger garlic paste

tomatoes (330 grams, pureed)

coriander powder

turmeric powder

garam masala (divided)

red chili powder (or to taste)

salt (or

paneer cubes (optional)

water

juice of half lemon

cilantro (to garnish)

Soak chickpeas in 3 cups water for 4 hours. Once 4 hours are up, drain the water, rinse the black chickpeas and set it aside.

Press the saute button on the instant pot. Once it displays hot, add the oil. Then add the cumin seeds and asafetida (hing).&nbsp;

Once the cumin seeds splutter, add the onion and the green chili. Cook for 3 minutes until softened.

Then add the ginger-garlic paste and cook for another minute.

Add the tomato puree. Cover the pot with a glass lid and cook for 2 minutes.&nbsp;Then add the coriander powder, turmeric powder, 1/2 teaspoon garam masala, red chili powder, salt and cook the masala for another 2 minutes.

Add in the paneer cubes (if using) and drained black chickpeas. Toss the chickpeas and paneer with the masala.

Add 2 cups of water and stir (fresh water, don't use the one in which you had soaked the chickpeas).

Close the pot with its lids and press the bean/chili mode. Adjust the time to 38 minutes at high pressure (the default timer for bean/chili mode is 30 minutes so you have to adjust the time). The pressure valve should be in the sealing position.

Let the pressure release naturally. Open the pot, squeeze in some fresh lemon juice.&nbsp;

Serve kala chana curry with rice or roti!

Kala Chana is delicious curry loaded with black chickpeas, chopped tomatoes, &amp; plenty of fragrant aromatics Indian spices. Perfect with rice or roti.

Kala Chana in Instant Pot

Kala Chana (black chickpeas) (rinsed

olive oil

onion ((1 medium onion))

ginger ((1-inch ginger))

garlic ((2 cloves))

chopped roma tomatoes (2 roma or plum tomatoes)

water ((add more for a thinner gravy))

salt (adjust

turmeric

red chili powder

garam masala

cumin powder

cilantro

lime (optional)

brown basmati rice (rinsed 2-3 times)

salt

Rinse and soak chickpeas

Rinse kala chana (black chickpeas) 2 to 3 times. Drain and soak in fresh water for overnight or at least 8 hours. Refer to recipe notes for no-soak method.

Saute aromatics

Turn on Saute and pre-heat the Instant pot. Add oil, cumin seeds and wait for them to sizzle. Now add chopped onion, minced ginger and garlic. Saute for 3 minutes until the onions begin to soften.

Add tomato and Spices

Add chopped tomato followed by salt, turmeric, red chili powder, garam masala, coriander and cumin powder. Add a few tablespoons of water and stir everything. Cook for 2 minutes, until tomatoes break down. Using the back of your ladle, mash the tomatoes gently.

Add peas and pressure cook

Add drained chickpeas and water, and give it a good stir. Deglaze the pot and scrape off any brown bits that may have stuck to the bottom. Cancel Saute. If skipping rice, close the lid and set pressure cook or Manual for 20 minutes, high pressure, on sealing mode. If making pot-in-pot brown rice, follow the next steps to assemble the rice.

Pot-in-pot brown rice (optional)

Rinse brown basmati rice 2-3 times under running water. Assemble rice in any oven safe bowl that fits in the instant pot. Add water, salt, oil and stir. Place a trivet in the curry and place the rice bowl on top of that. Close the lid and set pressure cook or Manual for 22 minutes, high pressure, on sealing mode.

Release pressure

Once cook time is done, wait for the pressure to release naturally for at least 10 minutes, followed by a manual release. If not in a rush, let it release naturally all the way. Open the lid when the pin drops.

Garnish and serve

Check for seasoning. Using the back of your ladle, mash a few peas against the sides of the pot. This makes the curry creamy. To thicken more, simmer for a few minutes. Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice or roti! Optionally, lightly squeeze in lime or lemon to your liking.

This one-pot Kala Chana recipe is a delicious dish that is sure to impress the whole family on even the busiest of weeknights. With just 30 minutes of active time, this easy traditional Punjabi dish of black chickpeas curry will be on the table and ready for a fuss-free dinner.

Kala Chana Recipe

black chickpeas

water (- for soaking)

oil (or ghee (clarified butter))

onions

tomatoes

garlic garlic

green chillies (or serrano pepper

ginger (or 1 inch ginger)

kashmiri red chilli powder (or ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

turmeric powder ((ground turmeric))

Coriander Powder ((ground coriander))

asafetida ((hing) - optional)

water (or as required)

salt (as required)

½ teaspoon Garam Masala (or Punjabi garam masala)

coriander leaves (- optional)

Rinse black chickpeas for a couple of times in water. 

In a large enough bowl, take 2.5 cups water and soak the black chickpeas or kala chana in it overnight or for 8 to 9 hours.

Drain the water. Using a colander or strainer, rinse the soaked chickpeas in water for a couple of times and set aside.

Soaking black chickpeas

In a 3 litre pressure cooker, add 2 tablespoon oil or ghee. Reduce the heat to a low.

Add cumin seeds. Let them crackle and then add finely chopped onions.

Sauté onions till they become light golden on a medium-low to medium heat. Again reduce the heat to a low.

Add finely chopped garlic, green chilli, ginger and sauté for 10 to 12 seconds or until the raw aroma of garlic and ginger goes away.

Add finely chopped tomatoes and sauté them on a medium-low heat until the oil starts leaving from the sides of the onion-tomato masala. The tomatoes should soften and become pulpy.

Swap fresh tomatoes with tomato puree or canned tomatoes. Crush the canned tomatoes before you add them. For tomato puree, add about ½ cup + 2 tablespoons of it.

Add turmeric powder, asafoetida, coriander powder, kashmiri red chili powder and sauté for a minute on low heat.

Then add the soaked black chickpeas and water. Season with salt and mix well.

Pressure cook chana on a medium heat for 10 to 11 minutes or 10 to 12 whistles until the chickpeas are cooked tender and softened well. If they have a hard center or are undercooked, pressure cook further for 5 minutes.

Lastly sprinkle the curry with garam masala and coriander leaves. If you like, garnish punjabi kala chana gravy with coriander leaves.

Serve the black chickpeas gravy  with steamed rice, roti.

Making kala chana

Serve the kala chana gravy hot or warm with Indian breads like Roti or Paratha or Poori. This curry can also be enjoyed as a light soup with some toasted bread or dinner rolls.

Rice is also a great option to serve with kala chana. Use your preferred rice – basmati or any variety. Flavored rice dishes like Jeera Rice (cumin rice), Ghee Rice also taste good with the curry.

Serving Suggestions

Store any leftover kala chana in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days. While serving, reheat the curry in a pan and serve with a side of your choice.

Storage

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/8tEt7ItK.mp4

This one-pot Kala Chana recipe is a delicious dish that is sure to impress the whole family on even the busiest of weeknights. With just 30 minutes of active time, this easy black chickpea curry will be on the table and ready for a fuss-free dinner.

Kala Chana (Black Chickpeas Curry)

Top 3 kala chana recipes from across the web

The most viewed kala chana recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Instant Pot Kala Chana

Kala Chana in Instant Pot

Kala Chana Recipe

Top 3 kala chana recipes from across the web

The most viewed kala chana recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Instant Pot Kala Chana

Kala Chana in Instant Pot

Kala Chana Recipe

The most viewed kala chana recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine